He hated that he’d caved to his jealousy the night before and sneaked into her room to borrow her journal. He’d watched her on the few occasions she’d sat near a window writing in it, and he had to make sure she wasn’t writing to a boyfriend. That wouldn’t have ended well for the boy.
It was a letter to her dead dad, which meant he would have to return it. She’d loved her father, and he wouldn’t cause her more heartache than necessary. He would slip back into her room by tomorrow or the next day and replace the journal.
He hoped to see his own name on those pages someday.
Watching her sleep had become an obsession soon after he’d met her. It had been so easy to plant a camera in her bedroom once she’d moved into her own place. She’d rarely brought her boyfriend, Harry, over, which was a blessing. His rage had almost escaped his tight control when he’d had to endure seeing another man put his hands on what was his.
The only reason that pansy-ass boy was still breathing was because his girl hadn’t returned any of the boy’s feelings.
She was saving her heart for him. It had been obvious. Continually, and in every way, she let him know that she was keeping her authentic self for the time they could be together.
It had taken over a year, but he’d put together a life plan to suit them both.
A home. He’d found the perfect flat and decorated it with her tastes in mind.
Children. One.
Work. She would work with him. Once they were a couple, they wouldn’t want to be separated all day. She hadn’t graduated yet. She could always change her major to suit him. It would keep her in school longer, but she wouldn’t mind if he asked her to.
Eventually, she would understand that cutting ties with her family and friends was for the best. She would want to spend all her time with him, and other people would get in the way.
Over two years of careful planning were about to reap the biggest reward of his life. From the moment he’d seen her in the science of nutrition class, her first year at university, their future was as good as written.
Her father’s death had been one of the best days of his life. He would never tell her that, of course, but her father had been the biggest obstacle to their relationship. With him removed, all the pieces had begun to fall into place.
He watched her sure strides eat up the rest of Day 5’s miles, his binoculars making him feel as though he was striding by her side.
eleven
DAGR
There wasn’t a trail,mountain, or cave that Dagr hadn’t run, climbed, or explored across Wales—not only Wales, of course, but as he was raised in Cymru, there wasn’t a country more special to his heart.
Going through his pre-hike stretches, he looked toward the trailhead he’d take in a few minutes. The Glyderau mountain range was a beauty of a site from his vantage point in the town of Machynlleth, where he’d spent the night.
As a pastime, he’d become an assistant ranger for Wales’s National Trust. He had a lot of friends in the Trust, and they called him periodically to run through the longer trail routes. He’d done alternate routes of the Snowdonia Mountain route several times over the years. He was more than happy to check the route’s safety.
It was a simple matter of doing what he loved—anything outdoors and adventurous—and filling out minimal paperwork, marking areas that could be improved or revamped. A perfect mini vacation from work.
Growing up, he’d spent more time outdoors with his father than in. He’d advanced to trail running years ago. His body was never more in tune with nature than when he was silently gliding up the side of a mountain.
He was a big man like his father. Both men should have been runner-lean with as much time as they spent in the wild, but Dagr’s main moneymaking gig landed him more often than not in a high-rise office building where the only form of physical exertion was in the gym. Consequently, he carried a lot bulkier muscle than the typical outdoorsman. He relished the challenge of pushing said bulk up mountains, doing it every chance he could.
The mountain route he was about to begin took even seasoned hikers nine to ten days. He planned on knocking it out in five by moving fast and sleeping rough. He tracked the weather when he woke up that morning, and a late spring snowstorm might hit the tail end of the last leg. He should be able to just skate by.
He grinned at the challenge. What adventure wasn’t made better by a bit of danger? He was about to swing his heavy pack from the ground when his phone started buzzing in his jacket pocket. Pulling it free, he looked at the screen. “Dad,” he sighed before answering, not surprised his father was calling.
“Hey, Dad. You’re up early.”
“Surely not much of a shock for you, son, since I’ve gotten up early every day of your life.”
His dad was in a mood, but Dagr knew his old man would eventually tell him what was troubling him. “It’s a beaut of a morning. I’m about to take off, so if you need something from me, now’s the time. I plan on hitting some unmarked trails this time and not staying in any towns.”
His dad sighed heavily, and Dagr could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. He and his father were extremely close.They spoke every day, and never more than a week went by that they didn’t see one another, so his dad knew his son’s schedule this morning.
Finally admitting to the reason for the call, his dad said, “I pissed off Gerry Langdon last night, but only because the bastard pissed me off first. I would’ve called you then, but it’s taken the night to see my blood pressure down.”
“Christ, Dad, Gerry is one of INCC’s biggest donors.” INCC, or Initiative for Nature Conservation, was a charitable organization without government funding. Pissing off a man like Gerry…
